WASHINGTON — The State Department this week terminated a U.S. Agency for International Development initiative that has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to help restore Ukraine's energy grid from attacks by the Russian military, according to two USAID officials working on the agency’s Ukraine mission.
Power outages have been applied overnight in some regions of Ukraine due to the attacks on energy facilities.
The official continued: “Russia is fighting a two-pronged war in Ukraine: A military one but also an economic one.
In addition to ending the Ukraine Energy Security Project, USAID is also dramatically downsizing its presence in Ukraine.
The two officials warned that USAID withdrawing from Ukraine would leave its energy grid vulnerable in the heart of the winter as it endures assaults from further Russian missiles.
A State Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Based on a document obtained by NBC News, the State Department has also ordered the termination of a program focused on “financial sector reform activity.”. »
